


Monsters Don't Save People

by FrozenEagle



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hegemon Edelgard von Hresvelg, Transformation, basically my black eagles dream team, edelgard is protective of her found family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:40:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24439828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenEagle/pseuds/FrozenEagle
Summary: With the war over, the hunt for Those Who Slither in the Dark begins. In an effort to defeat the Black Eagle Strike Force, TWSITD flood a village full of Demonic Beasts, and things start to look hopeless for the Emperor and her team. Until she remembers something she could do that might help turn the tide. And to save her friends? It's a necessary sacrifice.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Another carry-over from my Tumblr. Hope you guys enjoy!

The battle was supposed to be _easy_. Everything had been planned out, all entry points chosen, squadrons laid out in the best formations.

They hadn’t expected them to have so many _Crest Stones_.

They weren’t supposed to. Thales must have diverted supplies...

But now there were monsters. _So many_ monsters.

Everywhere one turned, there was a Beast ready to sink its teeth or claws into flesh. Winged devils tore through the skies - Thales _evolved_ them, it seems. There was blood and carnage every which way and it soon became impossible to tell where anyone was or if they were even still _alive._

Edelgard spotted Ingrid attempting to provide suppressing fire from above, only to have her pegasus be brought down by a well-aimed lance. She fell a ways away from the Emperor, into a horde of monsters.

Casualties were supposed to be normal. She’s watched so many die by this point. She’s _killed_ so many, both directly and indirectly. She had hardened her heart to this ages ago, she _thought_ but...

Ever since defeating Rhea, something’s _changed_.

She heard Bernadetta scream from somewhere in the distance. Lindhardt was busy healing Ferdinand, who had taken a clawed swipe to the chest. It was a miracle there was anything left of him to heal. Caspar was providing cover, but she watched as he was swatted out of the way by a rampaging Beast as if he were a mosquito.

Byleth was nowhere to be seen.

Her friends. Her _family_. She couldn’t lose them. Not _now_. Not like _this_. Not to these...these _monsters_. She had been angry in battle before, but something was different this time. _Fury_ couldn’t begin to describe it. Purple flames from her unwanted Crest danced around her clenched fists.

She spotted a monster charging her in the corner of her eye. She turned to face it, holding her ground as it bore down on her. Her grip on Aymr tightened, and she lowered into an attack stance in preparation. When the Beast was practically on top of her she dove to the side, then swung with all her might - activating her Crest of Seiros for an added boost - striking the creature’s neck and hewing its head clean off.

She’d lost count of how many Beasts she had taken down on that day alone. Far too many. And as she rose from her stance, she felt the effects of all that fighting on her sore body. She was _exhausted_ , and if it weren’t for her Crests she’d have collapsed already.

She pressed on, hoping to advance far enough to find some of the leaders of their enemy’s forces. She hoped they hadn’t turned themselves, yet.

Suddenly, a nearby house exploded as a Demonic Beast was sent flying through it. Stone and wooden beams shot out in all directions, and most of the walls collapsed and the roof caved in. The loss of the house revealed a relieving sight: _Byleth_.

Edelgard smiled, feeling her heart flutter knowing that her Love was alright.

But then another monster appeared through the dust, slamming into Byleth like a runaway carriage. “ _No_!” Edelgard shouted, spurring herself forward to her teacher’s aid.

The Beast that had been thrown through the house pushed itself up, shaking away the rubble, and stood between her and Byleth. It lunged, and she only had time to hoist her shield up. It slammed against her, forcing her against one of the few remaining walls, massive claws scraping against her shield as it tried to maul her to death.

She had been forced into a corner. From where she was, she could _just_ spot Byleth struggling against her own monster. Edelgard might be able to blast this one away from her but she wouldn’t be able to reach Byleth in time. Or she’d be too weak to do anything. She ran through her options in her head and none of them would work how she wanted.

Except one.

Her uncle hadn’t cared one bit about her ever since he brought her back from the Kingdom and threw her into a hole in the ground to die with her siblings. He showed some concern about her after the experiments proved successful, but it was never about _her_ so much as what she had _become_. He had, however, offered her _one_ piece of advice, one little shred of something she had no choice but to _hope_ was care, and it was this: under only the direst of circumstances should she activate both of her Crests at once. He warned her to think of it no differently than holding a powerful Crest Stone in her bare hand, and to only do so if she was certain there was no other path to victory.

She couldn’t see any other path. So she called on both the Crest of Seiros and the Crest of Flames. The initial surge of power shot out in a shockwave from her body, blasting the Beast away from her.

Then came the _pain_.

Pain unlike anything she’d ever felt before _tore_ through her body. It was as if she had been set on fire from the inside out, like her skin was melting off and every bone crushed at the same time. She let out an agonized scream as she fell to her knees, and then...

Nothing.

\---

Byleth used her sword to push the monstrous creature back, but barely. It had her pinned, it’s giant maw filled with teeth mashing furiously. She called for a fireball but it did very little to the Beast’s thick hide.

Suddenly, it was gone. The creature was ripped off of her by... _something_. Whatever that something was, it was _big_ , that was for sure. And _powerful_.

Byleth lay on the cold ground for a moment, struggling to figure out what the hell just happened. The sound of a tussle caused her to sit up, and she spotted whatever her saviour was and the Beast that almost killed her fighting it out like a pair of rabid dogs.

But then the Beast lost, _badly_ , to one swipe of the newcomer’s long, sword-like claws. The head of the Beast landed next to Byleth, causing her to flinch, but she could not look away from this new creature in front of her.

She’d never seen a Demonic Beast that looked quite like _that_. This one was more humanoid in form, but _barely_. Spikes shot out from its shoulders and ran down the length of its back. Skeletal wings arched behind it. Long, spindly arms ended in deadly talons. Its skin reminded her of the charred remains of a body - black and coarse, exposing burnt muscle and bone.

But the _face_ was by far the most terrifying thing about this creature. Because it was a face she _knew_.

“ _No_.”

\---

Lysithea was never one for monsters. They were like ghosts, but unlike ghosts, monsters _could_ actually hurt you. There was no question about that.

Ashe didn’t like monsters, either. For much the same reason. 

And yet here they were, stuck in the middle of a narrow street surrounded by monsters.

“I hadn’t planned on dying like _this_ ,” Lysithea grumbled as she blasted another creature away from them, “Ripped to shreds was probably the last way I thought I’d go.”

“Don’t think like that just yet,” Ashe told her as he took aim with his bow, “We’re not going down here.”

“Everyone says that _right_ before they go down.”

“Still: gotta keep optimistic.”

A particularly large Beast rounded a corner onto their street. “I don’t think we can take that one by ourselves,” Lysithea commented, already taking a step back.

Ashe reached into his quiver, only to find about four arrows left. He gulped. “Yep, I think you’re right,” he agreed, following her lead.

They only got a few steps in before, on the _other_ end of the street, they spotted a pair of menacing red eyes glowing through the dust and haze of battle. The silhouette revealed a monster neither of them had ever seen before, and the low rumble of a growl echoed through the street, sending chills down their spines.

The first large Beast roared behind them, and then surged forward in a charge. The second did the same, careening down the cobbled stones at tremendous speed.

The pair realized very quickly that they were stuck in the middle with nowhere else to go.

Lysithea aimed her magic at one, and Ashe targetted the other with his bow. But before either of them could fire, the second Beast launched itself into the air, leaping _over_ them and tackling the first Beast away.

Ashe’s bow fell to his side as his mouth dropped open in shock. “What just... _happened_?”

“Who cares?” Lysithea scolded as she grabbed his hand and pulled, “Let’s get the heck out of here!”

\---

“Bernie! Are you alright?”

Bernadetta struggled to push herself up from underneath the rubble pile on top of her. She remembered being on the roof of a house, taking aim at a group of mages, when suddenly the house was blown apart and collapsed.

Soft arms lifted her up gently. Healing magic began to spread through her body. She opened her eyes to see Dorothea’s wonderful smile. Petra was nearby, crouched into a defensive stance waiting to attack anything that got too close. Hubert was also around, keeping mages away from them with powerful magic of his own.

“We saw you fall. We were so worried, Bern!” Dorothea cried as she continued to administer healing spells, “No one’s allowed to die now, not after all we’ve been through.”

“Oh...s...sorry, then,” Bernadetta stammered sheepishly, “That was m...my bad!”

Dorothea sighed. She said not another word but instead pulled her friend into a tight hug, her actions speaking more comfortingly than words ever could.

“We have more enemies coming,” Petra warned urgently, breaking them up with reluctance, “Mages and soldiers, it seems.”

Hubert fell back to them, and raised his hands in preparation for more spells. The enemy surrounded them quickly, all readying their own attacks.

Suddenly, there was a loud _whoosh_ overhead, and purple fire rained down from the sky. Giant fireballs exploded around the enemy, sending them scattering for cover. And then, with the enemy vanquished, it was calm.

“Wow, Hubert! When’d you learn how to do _that_?” Bernadetta asked in amazement.

“I...I _didn’t_ do that...” Hubert said slowly, gazing down at his hand in confusion.

Suddenly, something clicked. A memory of a one-off conversation he had with Edelgard...

“Oh _no_.”

\---

Linhardt _never_ liked the sight of blood and even after all this time he _still_ wasn’t a fan. But Ferdinand still needed healing, so he swallowed the bile threatening to rise in his throat and kept going. At least the gashes across Ferdinand’s chest were closing up.

“How you holding up, Lin?” Caspar shouted from his position nearby, throwing a punch at a charging soldier.

“Could be better!” Linhardt shouted back.

“How’s Ferdinand? Hubert’s gonna kill you if-”

“He’ll _live_ , that’s all that matters!”

A piercing roar broke up their banter, and suddenly this _creature_ was looming over them, perched on the remains of a house they were using for cover. Through the haze, it was hard to tell just _what_ it was, but its glowing red eyes were clear, like fire in the dark of night. But it wasn’t focused on _them_ \- it narrowed its eyes at the band of soldiers who had been advancing on them.

Linhardt _blinked_ and suddenly the enemy threat wasn’t there anymore. Not a single soldier, leaving Caspar standing there befuddled and his fists still raised for a fight.

The creature was gone.

\---

This _had_ to be a dream. Another nightmare.

Long, skeletal hands adorned with razor-sharp claws slashed through victims left and right. _Her_ hands...

Skin like leather and scales, like a lizard’s or dragon’s combined with charred muscle with the skin peeled off. Nothing could penetrate it. _Her_ skin...

A long tail like a whip, batting enemies away before they could get near. _Her_...tail?

She towered over everyone, as if she were riding on a pegasus or wyvern. But her feet were still on the ground. Or were they? She felt like she was floating, _flying_... There was something on her back, something that had sprouted out of her, _tearing_ through skin. _Wings_?

Nothing felt real. Her voice wasn’t her own. Her actions were barbaric. Even her _teeth_ were different - sharp, pointy, _deadly_.

A Demonic Beast roared at her and she roared right back.

But, somehow, through the mist she _did_ realize one thing: her friends were safe. They had been in danger. But she killed the things about to hurt them. Demonic Beasts. Agarthans. Mages. Soldiers. She faced them all with brutal efficiency.

That was...good? Was it not?

But somewhere in her mind something was whispering that she had lost her humanity.

\---

Ingrid groaned as she came-to. Suddenly, her memory returned and she shot up, only to be met with a pounding headache.

“Easy, now, try to keep still.” Mercedes’ gentle voice met her ears, but she was still frantic and full of too much adrenaline.

“Where is she?” she demanded, looking all around, “Is she-”

“She’ll be fine.” Marianne’s voice came from nearby, and Ingrid turned to see the soft mage carefully tending to her pegasus. “Her wing is broken, but she’ll recover,” Marianne told her, “You were both very lucky.”

Ingrid sighed heavily, finally relaxing a little and allowing Mercedes to continue to work on her. “Did we win?” she asked, exhaustion making her words heavy and breathless.

“The battle is almost over. There aren’t nearly as many monsters as there were earlier,” Mercedes informed her, “Sadly, there have been many casualties. Although the chaos made it difficult to see just how many.”

Ingrid cursed under her breath. She spotted Annette nearby, holding her axe up and ready in case anything should charge at them. At least _some_ of her friends were safe...

A roar split the relative stillness of the courtyard they were in. A Beast rounded the corner, and its beady red eyes locked onto them in an instant. Marianne shot to her feet and rushed to join Annette’s side. Ingrid tried to get up but was gently held down by Mercedes. “You’re in no condition to fight,” she scolded in that soft, caring way she always had.

The Beast closed in, and was moments away from engaging in a battle when _something_ slammed into it. Another Beast...did they start to turn on each other when they ran out of things to attack? But this Beast was different. It _looked_ different, fought different, _sounded_ different. It crouched down between the other Beast and the four women, growling furiously as if it was... _protecting_ them?

Mercedes gasped in alarm, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. “ _Edelgard_?” she uttered.

Ingrid frowned and looked again. Her heart stopped with her own shock. It _was_ Edelgard - that hair and those golden horns were unmistakable. Her face, though distorted by blackened scales and _fangs,_ was clear. Had they forced a Crest stone on her? Was it some kind of curse? Why did she still seem...conscious?

The Beast charged her, managing to sink its teeth into her shoulder and throwing her away. Edelgard recovered and struck with her claws - horrific, boney things - that sunk into the Beast’s flesh. Purple fire danced down her arm and engulfed the Beast in her clutches. It roared in agony as she released it, but it was silenced quickly and dissolved into black ash at her feet.

The creature that was Edelgard then took a step back. She seemed to be breathing heavily, and black blood flowed from several wounds on her back. She staggered back another step before collapsing to her knees.

But it was over, Ingrid realized, as she tore her eyes off her deformed Emperor and looked around the battlefield. There were no more monsters, no more enemies.

Somehow, they had _won_. And she was pretty sure she knew _why_.

\---

“El... _El_! It’s _me_ , El!”

The battle was over. The enemy defeated. Her friends safe.

The _nightmare_ was _not_.

She still felt trapped in a body that was not her own. The outside world was hazy, distorted, too strange to be real. The smell of blood and death hung heavily in the air and it spoke to some _feral_ part of her. _More_. She wanted _more_.

They would _pay_. They would all _pay_. They _wanted_ a monster? Well now they’ve _got_ -

“El. Easy. It’s me. I know you’re still in there.”

Somewhere in the fog came a voice she knew. A voice she _loved_. It was calm and reassuring and _forgiving_. She looked around frantically, trying to shake away the nightmare. _Wake up! She’s trying to get you to wake up!_

“Down here, El!”

She glanced down, discovering that she now was quite taller than the woman she loved. Even now, collapsed to her...knees?... she still had a good four feet over Byleth. Part of her almost laughed. If her body hadn’t been horrifically mutated, she might have.

The dream was starting to shift, starting to give. Reality was beginning to come back to her.

She lowered herself even more, leaning down so her eyes could meet Byleth’s. Byleth was _alive_. Her heart - she still _had_ one, thank the goddess - fluttered in her hollow chest. Byleth reached for her cheek, ignoring the scales and leathery skin and _teeth_ that could rip through flesh like a sword. Her touch was gentle, the way it always was.

So warm. So soft. So _loving_.

Red glowing eyes turned back to lilac.

“There you are,” Byleth said quietly, a small, relieved smile on her face.

Edelgard felt a similar shift as the one from earlier, but rather than fire that consumed her, this time it was ice. Like she had just been thrown into the frigid northern ocean. She struggled to breathe, tried to claw her way back up from the dark depths to the light of the surface. Her entire body shuddered, her muscles contracted, her bones broke again.

But the changes faded. She shrunk back to her old size. The wings and claws and tail all disintegrated. The scales and rough hide peeled off her skin like ash in the wind. She was left a mess - hair knotted, dress torn, armour mangled.

But _human_.

Byleth still held her cheek. She had lowered herself down to her knees, never letting go.

“B...Byleth,” Edelgard stammered. As she escaped from the dream, she realized what had happened. That...that _thing_ she became... All those people and creatures that fell victim to her... The _rage_ and the malice and the _gore_...

A _monster_. She had become a _monster_.

But it wasn’t like a curse or a Crest stone. That _thing_ \- it _lives_ in her. It came _from_ her, not an external force. They might have forced that second Crest on her, but it wasn’t like she could just avoid touching a glowing rock to hope to never transform again. What if she doesn’t have a choice in battle again? What if it comes easier now? What if...what if she gets _stuck_ like that?

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, El.” She hadn’t realized she was crying until she felt Byleth thumb something away from her cheek. The more reality came crashing into her, the harder it was to breathe. No matter how much she gasped, air refused to fill her lungs and her heart felt like it was about to explode out of her chest. Tears streamed from her eyes and she clung to Byleth’s cloak with an iron grasp.

Byleth stayed gentle, patient, loving. She just continued to hold her beloved, keeping her grounded, whispering soft comforts until the Emperor’s breathing began to slow. She gently used her magic to heal some of the worst of Edelgard’s wounds.

“Are they...are they safe?” Edelgard stammered, almost _whispered_ , so deathly afraid that she might have... “My Eagles. My _friends_. My...”

“Shhh, El, it’s ok. Everyone’s ok,” Byleth assured her softly, running a hand through tangled white hair, “A little worse for wear, but we’re all safe. Thanks to _you_.”

“But...” El choked on her words, her throat suddenly feeling very dry and torn. She coughed, and Byleth held her closer.

“From what I hear, most of them were saved by a magnificent creature, like something from a fairy tale.”

Edelgard scoffed. “You mean a _monster_?” she spat.

“No. Monsters don’t save people.”

“But I...” Edelgard swallowed hard, tasting blood and bile in her mouth.

“El... People are alive right now because of what you did. _I’m_ alive because of you. I can’t say that I _ever_ want you to do that again, but...” Byleth’s wonderful smile lit up her face, and the last of the darkness plaguing Edelgard’s mind was chased away. “You were the furthest thing from a monster, El.”

Edelgard sniffled as she pressed herself closer to Byleth, leaning her head on her Light’s chest so she could listen to that wonderful heartbeat. “I just... I’ve lost too much of my family, Byleth...” she breathed, glancing up to meet Byleth’s soft gaze, “I...I _couldn’t_...”

Byleth merely held her close. “You kept us all safe,” she murmured into silver hair, “You’re not going to lose anyone today.”

It was amazing - almost _frightening,_ given what they did to her - how she had never known just how much she _wished_ someone would say those words to her until they were said. How many nights had it been when she would lay awake or be ripped from her slumber by a nightmare fed by her guilt, by her haunted thoughts of her family, lying broken and bleeding before her? All that time she _wished_ she could have saved even just _one_ of them.

Would they be proud of her now?

Byleth seemed to be, anyway.

Feeling more than she had in ages, Edelgard latched onto Byleth and held her tight, tears once more flowing down her cheeks. And the love of her life merely held her close, giving her everything she ever wanted.

“Edie!”

Suddenly, a new pair of arms were wrapped around her, too, surprisingly tight and desperate. Edelgard heard Byleth huff in surprise, and surmised she had likely been caught up in the bone-crushing hug as well.

“Don’t you _ever_ do that again!” Dorothea scolded, “We were all so worried for you! You could have gotten yourself _killed_ doing that!”

“I’ll say! I nearly blasted your head off!” Lysithea reprimanded, settling down beside them, “Next time you decide to turn into a monster to win a fight, _tell us_ , for goddess’ sake!”

“How exactly did you _do_ that, anyway?” Lindhardt asked, sounding the most enthusiastic he’d ever been in some time, “And would you consent to a few tests for me to find out more?”

“I’m curious too, just because it looked _awesome_!” Caspar pipped up, “Do ya think I could _maybe_...”

“ _Vultures_ , the lot of you!” Hubert grumbled, “You should all follow my example by giving her Majesty a chance to _recover_ first before questioning her, frankly _insane_ , decision.”

Edelgard shot her loyal friend a small smile. He might be mad, but it was because he cared.

_They all_ cared.

A relieved laugh bubbled up from her throat, and she allowed herself this moment to relish the love she felt around her.

A wicked man once told her that love had no place in an Emperor’s heart. To be a truly powerful leader, emotions had no place within them. Never care for anyone, as they could be lost at any moment and there was no room for such weaknesses as mourning their loss. One must be cold, indifferent, willing to sacrifice anything or any _one_.

She had believed him, once upon a time. He had been _very_ effective in his teachings.

Thankfully, she had since found a far better teacher.

\---

A few weeks had passed, and things had returned to normal. Edelgard no longer felt any residual pain from the transformation, and they had made significant strides against Those Who Slither in the Dark.

It was Caspar who approached her one day.

“So... You wouldn’t consider doing that _again_ , would you? That Hegemon form of yours was _awesome_!”

She gulped, her throat suddenly feeling rather dry. “I’d...rather _not_ , if I can avoid it,” she said carefully. Here it comes: the insisting that such a weapon should be at the forefront of every battle, that she was being selfish for keeping it to herself when so many suffer, that things would end quicker if she _just_ -

“That’s ok! I understand,” Caspar replied, smiling comfortingly at her in earnest. There was no ulterior motive, no shadow in his expression, no disappointment to his voice.

If it hadn’t been confirmed to her already, it was at that moment: she was _far_ better off with her friends than she ever was with those who only wanted to _use_ her.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard struggles with what it now means that she can turn into the Hegemon. All while working toward taking down Those Who Slither in the Dark.

“What do you _mean_ you _lost_ them?!”

Her scout captain took a step back in alarm, not used to hearing such an outburst from the Emperor. “I...I apologize, your Majesty,” he stammered, “But after that attack in the village the other day... In the chaos, we lost the trail. I’m afraid we have...erm, _nothing_.”

Edelgard grimaced, her teeth gritting so tight they were beginning to hurt. “There are no signs _anywhere_ of where they might have escaped to? No magic signatures? Discarded weapons? _Footprints_?”

He shook his head in dismay. “We will keep looking, your Majesty,” he vowed, “And your spymaster is conducting interrogations of the surviving villagers as we speak. But...it’s not looking hopeful.”

A spike of frustration and anger shot through her heart. She clenched her fist to the point her gauntlet strained under the pressure. “Then keep looking. You may go,” she commanded.

The scout captain nodded, failing to hide his relief, and scampered out of her tent to the relative safety of their base camp.

Once alone, Edelgard returned to her desk with a map of Fodlan spread out across it. Little flags and markers traced the path they had taken so far, all on the hunt for Those Who Slither and their hideout. They had been following a decent lead, until their foe took drastic action, flooding a village along their route with mutated monsters in an attempt to distract them.

Apparently, it had worked.

Edelgard let out a low growl in frustration, scouring her map and attempting to figure out where they might have run to. Every possibility didn’t seem likely. Her enemy this time around wasn’t as predictable as a foreign power. They were elusive, sneaky, and _desperate_. They could have led them on a wild goose chase before warping across Fodlan, for all she knew.

Anger surged again. _Foolish_. She was _foolish_ for thinking this would be easy. She should have kept following at a distance. Assembling her Strike Team and attacking Those Who Slither alerted them to her plan. And now they were back to square one because she couldn’t be _patient_.

She had spent _too long_ being _patient_. She didn’t _have_ much time left, she _couldn’t_ afford to be-

 _CRACK_!

In her rage, she had slammed her fist down on her desk. But rather than stopping when it met the wood, she had struck with such a force that it went _right through_ , splitting the solid wood desk messily in two.

Not expecting the table to give, her momentum sent her stumbling forward, into the wooden debris. She caught herself before she was flat on her face, but still had to take a moment to recover from the shock.

She let out a long, shaky breath. _Calm_. She had to keep _calm_.

She pulled her hand out of the wreckage of her desk and was anything _but_ calm.

 _Black_ , charred skin. Long, razor-sharp claws. They had ripped clean through her metal gauntlet, leaving the shreds dangling from her hand.

With a startled gasp, she staggered backward until she collided with the edge of her bed. She shakily sunk down, eyes never leaving the monstrous appendage.

* * *

‘Breathe,’ a voice in her head instructed her, ‘Breathe. Calm down. Or else it will get worse.’

She struggled to take in a few weak breaths, but panic was quickly taking over. Her wicked hand clenched into a fist under her will, confirming that this was, in fact, _real_ and a part of _her_.

Tears pricked in her eyes. ‘ _So it_ does _come easier, now_...’

“Edelgard?”

Her head shot up toward the entrance to her tent. Another attempt at a deep breath, and: “Yes?” Her voice only sounded _slightly_ strangled, so she took it as a victory.

“Is everything all right? I heard a crash... May I come in?”

It was Marianne, and while she would rather _not_ have anyone see her like this, of all the people who could have come to her tent _she_ was probably the best. Edelgard gulped, and hid her mutated hand behind her back.

“Everything is...fine. Yes. You may enter.”

Marianne entered the tent with a look of concern on her face. Her eyes first landed on the destroyed desk, and a gasp escaped her lips as a hand shot up to cover her mouth. “Oh _dear_!” she cried, “What happened?”

‘ _Shit_ ,’ Edelgard thought to herself. She had forgotten that she’d have to explain the desk. Her monstrous hand twitched behind her back.

Marianne turned toward Edelgard and her worry shifted in an instant. The Emperor’s face was deathly pale, her eyes wide and brimming with unshed tears, and body trembling like a leaf. It was such an _odd_ sight to see of the woman normally so unflinching.

“Edelgard?” Marianne asked softly, “Are you ok?”

“I...” She thought about lying. But her confident “yes” had been caught in her throat. She might have been able to sound convincing but she _knew_ she didn’t look it.

Marianne noticed how the Emperor held one hand tightly behind her back, and her frown deepened. “Are you hurt? I can take a look at it if you want, or I can go and get the Professor-”

“No!” That word fell out of her mouth before she could stop it, and it came tumbling out as if she fumbled something easily breakable. When she met Marianne’s confused and startled gaze, she sighed, “No. D...don’t get Byleth. Not...not _yet_.”

Marianne tilted her head in response. “But...” she began slowly. Something was wrong. Edelgard shared _everything_ with her fiancée. Even Marianne knew that.

Edelgard swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, resulting in a few wayward tears falling down her cheeks. “Promise me you won’t tell a _soul_ about this,” she choked out, attempting to maintain authority despite feeling more and more like a helpless child chained up in a cell.

“I promise,” Marianne breathed. Concern filled her voice, but there was a gentle earnestness to her that gave Edelgard the confidence to reveal what was hidden behind her back.

Marianne gasped when she saw the monstrous appendage, her hands flying up to cover her mouth in shock. Though her eyes, wide with horror, showed a slightly different emotion.

Edelgard looked away from her, glancing back down to inspect her hand with morbid curiosity. “I...don’t know what happened,” she explained, trying desperately to hide the tremble in her voice, “I...was angry. Frustrated. And when I went to slam my hand on the table it just...”

She sighed heavily, clenching the hand of the Hegemon into a tight fist. “I suppose I will have to be more careful, now. Ever since becoming the... _that thing_...to win the battle a few weeks ago, my emotions have been...strange. More potent, and more volatile. This is proof, now, that it’s... _dangerous_...”

Marianne still gazed upon her with those big, brown eyes. Yet despite the lingering shock on her face, she took a step forward. Then another. Slowly, she approached until she stood right in front of the Emperor.

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, took that horrid hand in hers.

Edelgard couldn’t hide the terror on her face. She wanted to rip her hand away, but restrained herself only because she feared what those claws might do to Marianne’s delicate skin. As she floundered, struggling to find words that would gently tell this sensitive woman to get away from her for her own safety, Marianne did something she rarely ever did to anyone.

She smiled at her. Reassuringly.

“You are not dangerous, Edelgard,” she said softly, carefully running her thumb over the rough, charred skin.

“Yes I am,” Edelgard breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from her hand.

“Tell me, Edelgard: Am _I_ dangerous?”

It was with those words that the Emperor found the strength to beat her fear. “Of course not,” she answered, confident, as she met those warm brown eyes.

“Then _you_ are not, either,” Marianne told her simply.

Edelgard’s eyes widened. Of course: her Crest...Maurice...

“But you never... _I_ have...”

“Perhaps I haven’t,” Marianne said with a small sigh, “But as long as the Crest of the Beast dwells in my blood, there is a chance. Do you still think me safe to be around?”

Edelgard nodded, perhaps a little too eagerly. “I would _never_ consider you dangerous, Marianne. You’ve proven yourself to me countless times over.”

Marianne gave her hand a small squeeze. “And I watched a great, magnificent creature place herself between myself and a monster, all to _protect_ me and my companions,” she said softly, “You could turn into the Hegemon right now and I wouldn’t be afraid. _No one_ would.”

Edelgard stared into that gentle gaze, focusing only on the comforting touch of a fragile hand against her demonic one.

She had been so caught up in her emotions she didn’t even feel her hand change back.

“There, see?” Marianne said with a delicate laugh, “All that worry for nothing!”

Edelgard regarded her bare hand in total shock. Never had she been happier to see her scarred skin - at least it wasn’t that sinuous hide anymore. She looked back to her companion and offered a grateful smile. “I really must thank you, Marianne,” she said earnestly.

“No need to thank me,” Marianne replied, “I would not be here if you hadn’t helped _me_ overcome my own fears. I simply returned the favour.”

———

Finding Shambala turned out to be the easy part, much to everyone’s dismay. Edelgard had been forced to dial it back, but her initial attack had scared Thales enough for him to fire a second warning shot, much like Arianrhod. Though that still meant undue soldier and civilian casualties, Those Who Slither had chosen to obliterate a small fort town rather than target anything big.

The mistake they made in doing so, however, was that it allowed Hubert and Linhardt to track the magic signature, something they had been working on since Arianrhod had been destroyed by a Javelin of Light.

Now they knew _where_ Shambala was, and it was time to raze the snake nest.

It turned out the technology of Those Who Slither in the Dark - or the Agarthans, as they had learned - was far more superior than any of them realized. Edelgard even found herself cursing Thales and his ilk for utilizing such medieval and antiquated procedures on her and her siblings when it was obvious the Agarthans were _well_ beyond that.

Still, she had to put it all behind her for the moment. The Agarthans had learned of the army sent to destroy them, and like fire ants out to defend their hill, were _swarming_ them with wave upon wave of mages, monsters, and golems.

She and Byleth worked to keep the Eagles together, moving as one powerful unit rather than splitting up. But that eventually proved to be impossible in the onslaught of chaos, and eventually, Edelgard found herself alone.

She took down another mage with a Crest-enhanced swing of her sword, breathing heavy and sweat dripping on her brow. The brief lull between enemies allowed her to survey the battle taking part around her, and a fear she was becoming too familiar with struck her heart once again.

“Truly a shame, isn’t it? To lose so much… _potential_.”

Her blood went cold. Her grip tightened around Aymr’s handle. She spun around, rage boiling in her soul. “ _You_ ,” she spat.

Thales seemed bored at best by her fury. “You once told me that your little human friends were strong, capable warriors,” he drawled, “Seeing them here now, I’m _almost_ inclined to believe you. We could have made them _better_ of course…” He paused when someone - Annette, it sounded like - screamed in fear and pain. A wicked smirk stretched across his face. “But alas… Nothing will remain after today.”

“You’re right about one thing,” Edelgard growled, readying her axe, “Nothing will be left, but of this _wicked_ place! Of _you_ and your miserable people!”

“Put that thing down, _girl_ ,” Thales warned, “Don’t forget who _made_ it for you.”

“And now I’m going to prove how great a mistake _that_ was!” She surged forward, letting out a fierce war cry as she swung Aymr back.

Thales merely raised one hand, and she collided with a solid forcefield of energy before she could so much as touch him. The resulting blast sent her flying, Aymr landing further away with a clatter.

“Do you _realize_ what you could have been had you stayed with _us_?” Thales demanded as he stalked toward her. Before she could pick herself up, he struck her with another shockwave, sending her careening away.

“You could have been the greatest Emperor Fodlan has ever seen!” Thales declared. Another wave of his hand, and she felt some unseen energy pluck her up into the air, only to hurl her into a nearby pillar.

“You could have been a _legend_!” Another wave, and this time she was thrown into the far wall with a sickening crunch. 

“You could have been a _god_!” He pitched her high this time, slamming her up onto a platform elevated above most of the fight. Her body crumpled to the floor of the platform. She struggled to get her breath back, struggled to shake the spots from her eyes.

Thales appeared beside her out of thin air, and grabbed her by the throat. He hoisted her up so she could see below them, at all of her forces currently being just as trounced as herself. “But you can still be _something_ ,” he hissed into her ear, his slimy voice sending shivers down her spine, “Once this is all over, we’ll rebuild you. Fix the flaws we missed the first time. _Yes_ … Perhaps grant you a third Crest… Mend that meddlesome mind of yours so that you’ll _obey_ … You might have to be _replaced_ , of course, but your contributions to the Empire will still be highly valued.”

Edelgard struggled against his hold, but no matter how hard she kicked and thrashed she couldn’t escape. Memories began to flood her mind, and suddenly she was twelve again, fighting against this same hold to no avail while her family died around her.

But then Thales let out a pained shout, and released his hold on her as if he had just been burned. Or _shot_.

“Y…you leave her _alone_!”

She looked up from where she was on the floor, only for her heart to seize in panic. Bernadetta, _bless her_ , was standing a few feet away, aiming a nocked arrow at the Agarthan’s head. She was trembling from head to toe and was pale as a ghost but she still stood, staring down the most dangerous man on the continent.

Thales reached behind his back and tugged the arrow from his shoulder blade with only a small wince. “And what are _you_ going to do?” he sneered as he stalked toward the terrified archer.

_“What are you going to do?” Uncle Volkhard - no, he wasn’t her uncle anymore - let go of her neck and allowed her to fall to the floor, his attention now turned entirely to one of her older sisters._

_Before her sister could respond, he struck her, hard, with such a force it knocked her to the ground, her bold, defensive stance rendered utterly useless._

_“Take that one next,” her not-Uncle growled at one of the mages, and they hauled her beloved sister away before she could do or say anything about it._

_They threw the corpse back into the cell a few hours later._

“No…” she breathed. She pushed herself up as far as she could, only sitting, really. A violent cough sputtered up from her lungs, bring a good portion of blood with it. And the pain that shot through her side told her she likely had a couple broken ribs. And even if she could stand, Aymr was down on the lower level and all she had left on her was a dagger.

She was once more that helpless little girl in a dungeon, unable to so much as protect her siblings the way they tried to protect her. Thales was going to kill Bernadetta, and all she could do was _watch_.

But then a low growl escaped her throat. One that wasn’t _human_.

Amidst the panic seizing her heart, she felt a fire growing. One that quickly became a raging inferno, boiling her blood and searing her skin from the inside out. This time she didn’t fight it, didn’t try to stop it, and it came naturally. Her bones split and stretched into something that almost felt normal, her skin ripped apart and hardened into charred leather and scales and for the first time since they got to Shambala she felt _safe_. She flexed wings she didn’t have seconds ago, swished a tail that hadn’t existed.

She was nothing but claws and fangs and dark magic and righteous, protective fury.

Thales prepared to crush this trembling little human like the bug she was, but suddenly a massive hand grabbed him, claws narrowly missing anything important.

Bernadetta watched as the Hegemon yanked Thales away from her, and her paralyzed eyes met those sinister red ones of the monster before her. The creature offered only one word, one that would ensure the archer’s survival: “ _Run_.”

And so Bernie did.

Thales chuckled from her hand. “So the rumours _were_ true,” he laughed, “You _did_ produce the anomaly. Oh…my wondrous _weapon_!”

Edelgard slammed him against the wall, squeezing until she could hear his bones breaking. “ _I’m going to enjoy this_.” Her voice came out rumbling, distorted, every bit as menacing as she felt. But he was _squirming_ , and for once she did not care how much blood she was about to have on her hands.

“Yes… _yes_ …” Thales gasped, “Such power… Never…never forget…who _gave_ it to you!”

Something inside her stirred. Her head swam in emotion, all her tightly bottled anger and resentment being released and feeding her actions. She couldn’t contain the twisted grin that spread across her face. Finally. _Finally_. She’ll have her revenge for what he did to her. For what he did to her family. And what better irony - to be killed by the very monster he helped design?

But then another scream pierced through the vindictive clouds in her head. Suddenly the roaring thoughts of crushing Thales, of tearing him apart and bathing in his blood, were overcome by the sounds of the battle around them. Shaken by the shift in her mind, she dropped Thales, turning to observe below them.

The Eagles - her _friends_ \- were _losing_. Mercedes was administering a healing spell to Annette as Ingrid and Marianne fought off a monster trying to reach them. Hubert and Dorothea were doing what they could against the mages, but were clearly outmatched. Ferdinand, Petra, and Caspar had been pinned between two massive Titanus. Lysithea and Linhardt were both taking cover, trying desperately to heal each other. Ashe had found Bernadetta and the pair were attempting to provide cover but there were too many enemies. And Byleth…

She watched as Byleth charged at a particularly large Beast, managing to sink her sword deep into its throat only to have the blade be stuck there. The Beast went unfazed by the weapon and batted her away. It then ran at her, teeth bared and waiting for blood.

“You’re still…going to _lose_ ,” Thales taunted as he struggled to his feet, “Kill me now, _girl_ , and you’ll still _lose_.”

Her jaw set, her mind made up. With a swish of her tail, she swatted Thales away like the insect that he was. She then leapt over the ledge and entered the fray.

Byleth braced herself for the Beast to bear down on her, waiting for its teeth to pierce her armour. But then there was a loud crash, the ground shook underneath her, and the Beast charging her was slammed away by another, more familiar Beast.

“El!” Byleth shouted in alarm, suddenly more worried about how and why Edelgard had once again transformed into the Hegemon Husk. 

Edelgard killed the enemy Beast with one swing of her claws. “ _It’s alright, my Teacher,_ ” she said in a voice that did little to comfort Byleth at that moment, “ _I am in control this time_.” 

Her red eyes then locked onto the golem about to crush Caspar under its foot. “ _Call the others back into one group. We must take our enemies as a unit_.” She then surged forward, throwing the golem away as if it were a mere toy.

Byleth shook her head, snapping out of her stupor, and raised her sword to rally allies near her together.

Ashe and Bernadetta ran up to meet her, both helping Lysithea and Linhardt limp forward. “Is that…Edelgard?” Ashe asked, his face pale as he watched the mutated Emperor fight against the golem.

“She did it _again_?” Lysithea demanded, “Is she _crazy_?”

“She…she did it to save me,” Bernie stammered, shrinking in on herself as she spoke, “Oh gosh… I…I hope she doesn’t get stuck like that b…because of _me_.” 

“It’s ok,” Byleth assured them, “I think El’s got this under control.” There was a loud bang and a flash of blue-green light as the Titanus exploded under Edelgard’s dark magic. 

“I certainly like our odds,” Ferdinand said as he and the others joined them.

“I’ll say! Did you see how she just smacked that thing away!” Caspar exclaimed, “Saved my ass for sure! I owe her one!"

“What’s the plan now?” Dorothea asked as mages and soldiers began to flank them.

“We fight, and _win_ ,” Hubert declared, reading magic in his palms, “For her Majesty!”

There was a low rumble, and cracks of dark magic surged through the ground under the enemy’s feet. Spikes erupted from the openings, decimating the group. “ _I appreciate the sentiment, Hubert_ ,” a demonic voice said behind them, though the smirk was unmistakable even with the distortion.

As the Eagles regrouped, so did the Agarthans, surrounding them with groups of soldiers and mages. More Demonic Beasts burst from the shadows and charged. Archers lined up from the ramparts high above. A final Titanus exploded through the wall behind Thales’ throne, sword glowing and ready for blood.

“Ashe, Bernadetta: take the archers!” Byleth commanded, “Ingrid, cover Ferdinand, Petra, and Caspar as they take the soldiers. Mercedes, stay with them in case they’ll need healing.”

“ _Hubert, Dorothea, and Lysithea: mages. Marianne, you, Byleth, and Annette take on the Beasts. Linhardt, stay with them.”_ The Titanus slammed its sword into the ground, resulting in a wave of molten rock and fire to surge out toward them. Edelgard held out one hand, and a shield of purple energy stopped the wave before it could reach them. “ _The big one is_ mine _.”_

With everyone good with their tasks, the Black Eagle Strike Force moved out in one formidable unit. When one hit, another was there to hit again. If someone had their back turned, someone else was there with a shield. Magic and arrows flew true and swords and axes hit with strength and accuracy. United, they were unstoppable.

The Titanus fell to Edelgard’s claws and she turned to find the battle over. Those Agarthans left alive were fleeing, and all the major threats were dead. She couldn’t stop the small smile that broke through the scales on her face.

As the Black Eagles gathered together to celebrate, wicked laughter echoed through the city remains. Edelgard whipped around and let out an involuntary snarl when she spotted Thales, clearly too injured to fight, kneeling on what was left of the dais.

“You…will _never_ enjoy your victory,” he declared through heavy breaths. His cold eyes met Edelgard’s one final time as the floor underneath him lit up in archaic runes. “For all Agarthans.”

The entire city began to vibrate. Dust and rocks were shaken loose from the ceiling. Linhardt, who recognized the runes, gasped in alarm. “ _No_ , it can’t be!”

Suddenly the entire ceiling was ripped open with a massive bang, rocks and debris raining down around them. Now that they could see the darkening sky, it became clear what Thales had done. A bright light appeared in the sky, almost like a star. But then it grew brighter, and brighter. Purple circles appeared as a giant column leading the light down to the ground. More lights appeared in the sky.

“That idiot isn’t _that_ crazy, _right_?” Lysithea demanded in a panic.

“Head for the exit!” Byleth shouted, “ _Now_!” She turned to El, who was still staring at the sky. She didn’t like how the Hegemon’s wings twitched in anticipation. “El, let’s go!”

Edelgard turned, just a little, so she could see Byleth. Magic began to form around the skeletal wings on her back, filling them in to resemble something more like an eagle’s. Something that could _actually_ fly. “ _I’m sorry, Byleth_ ,” she said softly, nodding to her family, “ _I won’t let him do it again_.”

And with that, and a mighty flap of her wings, she was off and into the sky.

“No! _El_!” Byleth screamed as she watched her love go. She wasn’t the only one, as the others from the team all had similar sentiments.

Edelgard stared down the first Javelin, magic and fire dancing down her long arms and collecting in her hands. Once enough energy had charged, she released the powerful blast. The moment it connected with the tip of the Javelin, the entire thing exploded in a massive, brilliant fireball.

Another column of circles formed nearby, and she quickly swooped into that path to take out the next one.

And the next.

Her position was too awkward to catch the one after, and she was forced to watch it strike the opening of Shambala and hope she had bought everyone some time to escape. Another column formed, and she snapped out of her worry and intercepted that Javelin.

Byleth could only watch in horror. Edelgard seemed to be doing fine, but the few Javelins that slipped past her were really starting to bring the city down. Thales had been lost in the chaos, laughing like a maniac as the boulders from the ceiling caved in around him. It had been made _abundantly_ clear just how destructive _one_ Javelin was, and El was up there swooping directly into their paths to take them out, narrowly avoiding the infernos.

El managed to destroy one more Javelin, and what _seemed_ like the last one. And for a brief second, there was a moment of respite where it felt like she could breathe. Like _Byleth_ could breath. Edelgard spotted her down below in the rubble, and the universe stopped. Just for them. It was _over_ , they both survived. Things could _finally_ …

Byleth saw it first. That flash of light, the circles… She shouted for El, hoping she’d see it in time. Edelgard whipped around, only having enough time to see the gold tip of the Javelin before it struck her directly.

The explosion rocked the city now exposed to the elements. A chorus of screams and gasps was overpowered by the loud _boom_. Rocks and dust blocked out the sky, fire rained down upon them, forcing them to take cover.

As the dust settled, Byleth shot to her feet, shoving aside rocks and debris as she began a frantic search. “ _El_!” she called out, hoping - _praying_. Yes, she just watched the woman she loved more than anything take a direct hit from a _Javelin of Light_ but the Hegemon was virtually indestructible and Edelgard was even stronger than that. She _had_ to have survived. She just…she _had_ to.

She pushed a large boulder out of the way, revealing what was left of Thales’ corpse, half-buried under the rubble of the civilization he was once so proud of. A maniacal grin still smeared across his face. Byleth clenched her fists tight, so tight her fingernails dug into her palms. After all _that_ , after every life he destroyed, he goes out like _that_? Crushed by some rocks moved by his own hand?

She spun away, feeling her anger beginning to reach a boiling point, and that’s when she spotted her. That red cape, so easily seen through the dust.

Byleth raced to her side, falling to her knees and carefully scooping the Emperor up into her arms. She felt so… _fragile_ , now. And cold, despite the burns on her body. But, despite her injuries, her chest still rose and fell.

“El…” Byleth uttered, resting her forehead against her beloved. “It’s over.”

Slowly, lilac eyes fluttered open. A faint smile danced across Edelgard’s lips. “My Love,” she whispered, “We _won_.”

“We did, El,” Byleth replied, feeling tears on her cheek and not caring in the slightest. She heard the other Eagles shouting. She spotted Dorothea all but _dragging_ Linhardt toward them. “Just hang on, a little longer. And I swear to you will have that day where we do nothing at all - just lounging around and eating as many sweets as we can.”

A breathy chuckle escaped Edelgard’s chest, a violent cough following not long after. “I’ll…hold you to that…” she said weakly. Her eyes began to droop shut.

“Just hang on, El. Hang on…”

…

“The path we walk isn’t at its end yet.”

———

Enbarr in was at its best in the Garland Moon. It was warm, but it wasn’t yet so unbearably hot it almost made one wish for a Faerghus winter. All the trees had fully grown all their leaves, the first of the summer blooms were in full swing, and birds sang without a care in the world as they flew about the gardens. The sun sparkled off the water in the Palace fountains, warming the stone balconies and filling the rooms with soft yellow light. The air was fresh, with a touch of salt from the nearby sea.

Edelgard drew a deep breath in from where she stood on her balcony, wincing only slightly. Her ribcage was still fairly sore, but the fresh air was more than worth it after spending so much time trapped in her bed.

“El?” Byleth’s concerned tone came from inside, causing her to sigh lovingly at her wonderful fiancée.

“I’m out here!” she called, and Byleth was there in moments, not trying to hide her relief.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed yet,” Byleth scolded, though her playful smirk and tone gave her away.

Edelgard pouted, just a little. “I’d argue that the healing benefits of a pleasant, summer day were too good to pass up,” she countered, “Besides. I made it out here on my own, didn’t I? That should mean something.”

Byleth frowned a little, looking around the balcony for something. “That’s…right,” she said slowly, “How? You can’t really walk yet and we had to steal you cane after you kept sneaking down into the…” That’s when her eyes landed on the small hand axe El kept near the bed should an assassin ever try anything. The handle on it was _just_ long enough. “…study.” She levelled the woman she loved a tired glance. “An _axe_ , El?”

“I am nothing if not resourceful,” Edelgard stated in defence.

“Well, you won’t need it for this,” Byleth said as she pulled out on of the chairs at the little table on the balcony, holding a hand out to assist El over to it. Once she was seated, Byleth returned to the room for a moment, and Edelgard could hear the sounds of tea being prepared. Sure enough, Byleth came back with a tray of tea and an assortment of various pastries and cakes.

“It’s not a mountain of sweets, not _yet_. Manuela says you still have to watch what you eat until your injuries are fully healed,” Byleth said, “But I just thought that… Well, this could be the first of many leisure days to come.”

“The _first_ , huh?” Edelgard said with a small laugh, “Funny. I feel as though I’ve had nothing _but_ leisure days since our return from Shambala.”

Byleth smiled as she poured their tea. “I’d like to point out that a _coma_ isn’t exactly relaxing,” she teased, “Nor is lying in bed worrying about your Empire.”

“I wasn’t… _always_ worrying…”

“I walked in on you at one point trying to _will_ yourself into good health, El. You never _stopped_ worrying.” She chuckled slightly at the thought. “But today felt like a good one for taking a break.”

Edelgard took a sip from her cup, breathing in the warm scent of bergamot and feeling it sooth the lingering rawness of her throat. “I suppose it is,” she said softly. She gently reached out and took Byleth’s hand in hers, brushing one finger over the gold and ruby ring she had given her beloved. Byleth did the same, admiring how her father’s ring looked on Edelgard’s slender hand.

“I really must thank you,” Edelgard said after a pause, eyes never leaving their intertwined hands, “I…don’t think I would be where I am now were it not for you.”

“El, I…”

“I’m not even talking about the war,” Edelgard admitted, “I… There was an incident, not long after the village where I became the Hegemon. In a moment of anger and frustration, I began to turn into it again. And I was so afraid to tell you because…” She drew a deep, long breath, clenching her free fist. “I’ve known I was a monster for a long time. I might not look it. Or sound like it. But what they did to me… It _changed_ so many things. I couldn’t…I couldn’t let you see just how truly lost I was.

“But then in Shambala, when we fought together when I was… It felt just as natural as ever. Like I hadn’t changed who I was at all, despite being a giant, hideous creature.”

“The Hegemon isn’t _hideous_ ,” Byleth said quickly.

Edelgard laughed. “It’s alright, Byleth. I _know_ what I looked like.” She frowned a little then, almost mournfully. “It’s still…disconcerting that such a creature dwells under my skin. But that was the second time it _fully_ came out and all I wanted to do was keep you all safe… I don’t know if such a thing would have happened had it not been for you.”

Byleth offered her a comforting smile, squeezing her hand a little for added emphasis. “I’m always going to be here for you, El. We all will be,” she said, “And _I_ wouldn’t be here without _you_ , either.”

Edelgard returned the smile with a warm grin of her own. Her heart fluttered in her chest, overflowing with emotions she hadn’t felt in what felt like an eternity. Watching Byleth now before her, trying and failing to daintily eat a pastry, only renewed the fire in her heart. Her friends were all safe. Her Empire and all of Fodlan was safe. Her _family_ was safe.

And she knew what it truly meant to love again.

“Thank you again for this, Byleth.”

“You deserved something special. Happy Birthday, El.”


End file.
